


Dinner with Henry

by torigates



Category: Psych
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-31 12:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/pseuds/torigates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>By the time that Shawn and Juliet’s relationship is common knowledge, Shawn’s had enough time to actually adjust to the idea that he is, in fact, now in a <i>relationship</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner with Henry

  
By the time that Shawn and Juliet’s relationship is common knowledge, Shawn’s had enough time to actually adjust to the idea that he is, in fact, now in a _relationship_.

Despite popular belief (and by popular, Shawn mostly means Gus) that Shawn couldn’t admit the fact that he was in a relationship because he was chicken, the reality was that Shawn didn’t want to admit to himself that being in a relationship meant that he could irreversibly and permanently screw things up with Juliet.

When they were just _whatever_ it was that they were before what they are now, Shawn could tell himself it was because he didn’t want to lose his friendship with her. Now that they were, and Shawn cringed to use the term, boyfriend and girlfriend the stakes were that much higher. And as anyone who ever really knew Shawn (so, Gus) could tell, Shawn was mostly talk and no action (he did, after all, spend five years pursuing Juliet. Though, in his defence, Shawn would counter he wasn’t actively pursuing her, and it too make a difference, Gus).

So when Henry told Shawn to invite Juliet over for dinner, he balked.

Shawn was over at Henry’s house because, a) he needed food and Gus told him he wasn’t doing Shawn’s groceries for at least a week, which was just plain mean because Gus _knew_ that the grocery store gave Shawn the heeby-jeebies. And b) because, well he was bored. Shawn and Gus weren’t hired on the latest murder the SBPD were working on, and Henry refused to admit that they needed Shawn’s psychic abilities. “What? Dad, don’t you think I’m a little old for you to be vetting my girlfriend?” he whined.

“Don’t whine, Shawn.” Henry was standing at the counter cutting up vegetables to put into a stir-fry. Shawn wasn’t sure when his dad became the type of guy who made stir-fry, but for once he wasn’t going to comment (mostly because Shawn loved stir-fry).

“I wasn’t,” Shawn mumbled. He was sitting at the table, looking through the newspaper without really paying attention to it.

“And don’t pout. I’m not vetting Juliet for god sakes, we’ve only worked with her for five years. I just want the two of you to come over for dinner. Is that so much to ask?”

Shawn decidedly felt that it was.

“My dad invited you over for dinner,” he told her later that night. The two of them were laying in bed, Juliet’s head was resting on his chest, and Shawn was stroking her hair. It was nice. He hated to ruin it by bringing up his dad, but he knew Henry would just _know_ if Shawn didn’t at least ask her. “It’s no big deal,” he hurried on. “And if you rather not I can get us out of it.”

“What? Shawn, don’t be ridiculous. Of course I’d love to go to your father’s for dinner.”

If Gus hadn’t explicitly forbidden him for calling when he thought the world was conspiring against him that is exactly what he would have done. As it was, he only thought it. That didn’t make it less true.

The two of them arrived on Henry’s doorstep the next night.

“It’s not too late to turn back, you know,” Shawn said.

She made shushing noises and elbowed him. “Be quite,” she scolded.

Shawn rubbed the sore spot on his ribs and glared down at her. It was not reasonable for such a tiny lady to wield such a deadly elbow. He was about to retort when the door swung open.

“You made it,” Henry greeting them. He was wearing one of his usual tropical themed shirts, and Shawn wanted to hang his head in shame. Where his father got such awful fashion sense, he would never know.

“I’ve only been here twelve billion times, dad,” Shawn quipped. “I’m not sure that can be considered and accomplishment.”

Henry rolled his eyes, but stepped aside to let the two of them into the house. “That’s never stopped you before, Shawn.” He turned towards the kitchen, not waiting for them to take off their shoes.

Shawn laughed loudly and awkwardly. “Okay, dad,” he called. “He’s getting senile in his old age,” he muttered to Juliet.

“I heard that,” Henry’s voice called back.

Juliet laughed.

“Come eat,” Henry called from the kitchen.

Shawn followed Juliet into the house. The three of them settled around the table and Henry served the food.

“Wow, Mr. Spencer, this looks delicious.”

Shawn shot her a look and mouthed, “Mr. Spencer?” Juliet shrugged.

“Henry, please,” he corrected. “You can call me Henry.”

Juliet smiled, and Shawn saw her visibly relax.

“So, dad,” Shawn said after a moment, when are you going to hire Gus and me on this case?”

Henry rolled his eyes. They’d had this conversation before (several times, in fact). “ _If_ the SBPD need you on the case, _that’s_ when I’ll hire you, Shawn. Not a moment earlier.”

It was Shawn’s turn to roll his eyes. He turned to Juliet. “The SBPD _always_ need me, isn’t that right, Detective O’Hara?” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Henry hit him upside the head. Shawn rubbed the now stinging spot. Apparently the theme of the night was shaping up to be ‘Abuse Shawn.’ “Don’t be disgusting, Shawn. Don’t you know how to treat a lady with respect?”

“Only what I learned from you, pop,” he said with a grin, and shot Juliet a wink. He thought she could have at least smiled back at him, but she kept her expression serious.

Henry groaned. “You are a saint for putting up with him,” he told Juliet.

She heaved a long, suffering sigh. “I know.”

“Hey,” Shawn protested.

She smiled sweetly at him.

“Oh, that’s not fair. You know I can’t resist that look.”

“I know.”

“This _is_ a conspiracy!” he said. “You two are out to get me. I’m calling Gus.”

“You know he said not to do that anymore,” Henry reminded him.

Shawn glared.

The three of them continued their meal, Henry and Juliet picking on him relentlessly throughout, which just proved to Shawn that it _was_ all a conspiracy against him, and he was going to bring this up with Gus the next time he claimed it was all in Shawn’s head.

“Thanks, Henry, that was great,” Juliet said as they got ready to leave.

“I suppose it wasn’t poisonous,” Shawn agreed.

Henry rolled his eyes again and Juliet smacked him. Shawn rubbed his arm. She really did pack quite the punch.

“You come around any time,” Henry told her.

She smiled and kissed his dad’s check.

Henry pulled Shawn back when he tried to leave. “You done good, kid,” he said, and smacked Shawn on the shoulder. “Don’t screw it up.”

“Yeah,” Shawn said. “I won’t.”

He jogged to catch up with Juliet. “Thanks for coming,” he told her. “I think it meant a lot to my dad.” Despite the physical abuse, it meant a lot to Shawn too. He leaned down and kissed her.

“Any time,” she said. “Thanks for letting me come.” She smiled again.

Given the look she was giving him, Shawn had to reconsider. Maybe not so much of a conspiracy, then. 


End file.
